Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ An Argument with Kaiba Seto ❯ Contrivance 8 ( Chapter 8 )

In a rare moment of de-lurkation, Shella takes pen in hand & fingers to keyboard to construct the daring, the adventurous finale to `An Argument with Kaiba Seto'. The suspense builds - will this be anything like the rest of the story? Will any of the readers remember it? Will-

Oh wait, the previews are starting!

-^-^-^-^-^-

New from KaibaCorp: Dog Accessories! Make your pooch feel like the luckiest puppy in the world!
Kaiba: *holding Jounouchi's leash & smirking*
Jounouchi: *collared, on all fours, with a dog-blanket around him but otherwise nude* Damnit, I am never drinking one of Yami Bakura's `mixes' again…

The Millennium Necklace - Buy one & get a FREE psychic vision!

The Millennium Puzzle - Rubik's Cube? Who needs it?

The Millennium Rod - Now if anyone claims you're `compensating', you can tell them to go to hell, & they will! Alternatively, a subtly suggestive shape to drop a hint to that special someone!

The Millennium Ring - Give your loved one the present that will never leave them! At this price, it's a steal!

The Millennium Eye - You'll never need glasses or contacts again!

The Millennium Key - No more need to buy porno when you've got the Millennium Key! See into ANY mind!

The Millennium Scales - Essential for Weight-Watchers everywhere!

News flash: Marik Ishtar threatens suicide! Debate is currently underway as to whether this is a hostage situation.

Sick of being treated like a mere mortal? Tired of people who just won't bow down & obey your every wish? Itching to take over the world and fulfil those revenge fantasies?
*Light comes up on Yami Bakura, Noa, Seth, Malik, Marik & Gozuburo, standing in front of a wall painted with a corporate logo*
Then join MEGALOMANIACS INCORPORATED, where all the best and evillest go to put their domination plans into action!
Yami Bakura: Just send your application to dictators@villains.org.
Malik: And we will send an assassin squad round to your home to take you out because you're competition!
Everyone else: MALIK!
Malik: Oops … I guess I wasn't supposed to say that part?
Noa: *kicks him in the shins*

Answering Machines #1.
Isis: Hello, you've reached the Ishtar household. After the beep, think very strongly about your name, phone number, and message, and I'll get back to you.

Anzu: Having a positive attitude may not solve all of your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.

Marik: Remember everyone - it takes 42 muscles to frown & 17 to smile, but only 8 to hold out your Millennium Rod and send someone to the Shadow Realm!

*A knock is heard*
Jounouchi: *opens door, is confronted by a herd of cows carrying torches & wielding pitchforks* …Uh, sorry, you've got the wrong house. Yugi Motou lives down that way. *points*

Answering Machines #2.
Jounouchi: Hi! This is Katsuya! If you're Honda, I'll pay you back the money I owe you. If you're Yugi, I need to borrow some money. If you're my mum, send me money. If you're a hot girl, don't worry, I have plenty of money.

Yugi: *holding sign that says: GLOMP ME I'M UKE*

Answering Machines #3.
Anzu: Hi, this is Anzu …Uh-huh … uh-huh … okay … Nah, just kidding, it's the answering machine! Leave a message!

Kaiba: *to Jounouchi* You may be trying to insult me, but I know you really like me. I can see your tail wagging.

Ryou: *looking in the bathroom mirror* Um, Yami? Why do I have `Jailbait' written on my forehead?
Yami Bakura: No idea. *hides paintbrush*

Honda & Jounouchi: It takes 42 muscles to frown & 17 to smile, but none at all to sit there looking dumb.

Malik: I may be schizophrenic, but at least I have each other.

Answering Machines #4.
Otogi: Hi! Now you say something.

Mai: Some duels are a total waste of makeup.

Yami: I summon the Dark Magician!
Pegasus: Pikachu, I choose you! …What? I said I liked cartoons, didn't I?
*Everyone sweatdrops*

Jounouchi: Am I the only one who gets sick of those stupid dog puns?
Kaiba: *fastening a collar around his neck, considers the question* Yes.
Fangirls: *chorus* We agree with Kaiba!

-^-^-^-^-^-

Thankyou for your patience. The candy bar is open, with seventy-three different flavours of pocky available for your discerning tastes, only seventy of which have chocolate in them. And now, we present the main feature…

-^-^-^-^-^-

An Argument with Kaiba Seto

By Shella

The story so far: At first, it appeared that the `relationship' between Jounouchi and Seto was more or less an outlet of the same tension that fuelled their arguments. Surprisingly, when it turned out they did actually care for each other, the arguments continued. Some things, it appears, are just too good to change. And now the stage is set for said `relationship' to become public knowledge. Abandon hope, all ye who enter here…

-^-^-^-^-^-

Contrivance 8 - Epilogue.

Jounouchi Katsuya was not subtle. It was a fact of life, one of those indisputable truths that will remain even if all else is lost - like the fact that Motou Yugi was a hairdresser's fantasy (or nightmare) or like the fact that Honda would never be able to fully enjoy watching `Jaws'. If left to his own devices, everyone probably would have found out about Jounouchi's infatuation with Kaiba Seto (and vice versa) within the space of about five seconds, or as many drinks.

Fortunately for Jounouchi's reputation as a tough guy, Kaiba was slightly more adept at clandestine operations.

"Your friends are probably going to be looking for you," he said.

Jounouchi paused in the middle of persuading one of Kaiba's hands that yes, it did actually want to be inside his jeans. "How the hell can you be thinking about that now?" he demanded.

"Because I heard footsteps," came the reply.

"Oh."

The two had been making out in the little-used access stairwell, where there was a closed door between them and the rest of the museum that effectively muffled both sight and sound. This meant that the footsteps Kaiba heard must have been close. Brown eyes met blue, and in an unspoken agreement both teenagers immediately scrambled to ascend a couple of flights of stairs and avoid discovery. Given that each had a hard-on that would put most morning glories to shame, this was more awkward (and far funnier) than you'd think.

By the time they reached the roof, Jounouchi was nearly dying from lack of oxygen, as he'd run up four whole flights while laughing his arse off.

"Oh - that was - classic," he gasped, collapsing against the wall and trying desperately to catch his breath. "Kaiba - so dignified - running with - a hard-on-" Asphyxiation raised its head at that point, and he slid to the ground and sprawled on his back, gulping in air and continuing to cackle like a maniac.

After several long moments he managed to crack one eye open. Kaiba was leaning against the wall, hands on his knees, staring at him with an inscrutable expression.

"…What?"

Kaiba glared. "…I hate you."

Jounouchi burst out laughing and threw an arm over his eyes. There was nothing he liked better than getting one over Kaiba Seto, whether it be a victory or a leg. And speaking of getting a leg over-

"Oof!"

"On the other hand, it looks so right to have you lying on your back. It's like you're just begging to be fucked, like an eager little puppy."

Jounouchi scowled ferociously at the boy straddling his hips. "Kaiba, you sneaky little-aahh! Oh - ohh … mm…" His ire was abruptly redirected when said Kaiba ground their hips together and proceeded to kiss the life out of him.

Unfortunately for the two teenage boys, long before they could destroy this fic's rating (as is so easy for teenage boys to do, given their hormone-fuelled sense of priority) they were interrupted by a nearby clock tolling the hour very prudishly and self-importantly.

"Oh crap!" blurted Jounouchi, and not because he'd discovered exactly how pleased Kaiba was to see him. "We're supposed to be back at the bus already!"

Kaiba cursed eloquently (if such an expression isn't an oxymoron, like `Microsoft Works' or `army intelligence') and jumped to his feet, extending a hand thoughtlessly to help Jounouchi to his. This small gesture passed unnoticed for the moment, but when its significance occurred to Jounouchi later, it almost made him dissolve into a mushy happy puddle on the spot.

But back to them being late for the bus.

"This is all your fault!" Jounouchi yelled, as they raced for the stairs again. They clattered down them three at a time, Kaiba with all the speed and grace of an antelope, Jounouchi with all the speed and grace of a buffalo.

"My fault?" came the indignant reply. "And how did you come to that conclusion?"

"Cos you're hot, and ya kept distracting me!"

Kaiba rolled his eyes and leapt down the last five steps to the ground floor. "Oh, of course. Why ever didn't I guess?" he muttered, as they raced towards the entrance. At the last minute, he stopped.

Jounouchi noticed this out of the corner of his eye, and skidded to a halt in much the same way a truck going downhill wouldn't. "What?" he demanded. "Why'd you stop? We're already late, remember?"

"I'll go out a different door," said Kaiba. "It'll look suspicious if we both come running from the same direction."

Jounouchi was a minute working out why this mattered and how anything would look suspicious. Then he remembered that, as of this point in time, the only people who knew about his relationship with Kaiba were Mokuba and Yugi, both of whom were sworn to secrecy. "Oh yeah," he said, and tried not to pout. Never mind that he would probably get teased mercilessly if the other guys in his class - Honda in particular - found out he had a boyfriend, it would still have been nice not to have to skulk around in secret.

Kaiba looked at him for a minute, then took two swift steps and crushed their lips together, one hand tight around Jounouchi's bicep and the other buried in his hair. Jounouchi nearly jumped out of his skin - or at least his clothes *nudge nudge, wink wink* - at the sudden display.

He gasped when Kaiba pulled away. "Seto…" he whispered.

"Don't be sad," said Kaiba quietly, stroking a thumb across Jounouchi's bottom lip. He then smirked, and Jounouchi had a horrible premonition of what was coming (aside from him, if he got any more kisses like that). Sure enough: "You look so pitiful with those puppy-dog eyes."

Jounouchi's fists clenched and he growled.

His lips quirking evilly, Kaiba continued, "It's such a hangdog expression."

Jounouchi's right eye began to twitch.

"Like your master's beaten you-"

The next thing Jounouchi knew, he was sitting on Kaiba's stomach, having evidently tackled the taller boy to the ground. His hands were fisted in the other's jacket and the brunette's hair was mussed everywhere.

He was also glaring at him.

"I thought you said we were late to meet the bus?" Kaiba snapped angrily.

"Wassa matter, can't take it?" Jounouchi teased. "You can give, but you don' like bein' on the receiving end?" He smirked lecherously at the teenager lying beneath him, propped up on his elbows and with his clothes rumpled wantonly. "Ya know, I think I like it right where I am," Jounouchi purred. He leant down and granted Kaiba a single kiss, absurdly pleased when the other boy closed his eyes and arched into it delightfully. He filed the moment away, to be recalled and enjoyed at length later (namely, the enjoyment of his length), and jumped to his feet.

"You're right, we're late," he said, and dragged Kaiba upright. There was a slight hint of a flush on the brunette's cheeks that nearly made Jounouchi dance a jig right there, but he steered his mind firmly away from such distracting - if infinitely attractive - avenues.

They took off in different directions, Jounouchi racing out the main entrance and making his way to the carpark around the side. The bus was surrounded by a crowd of students, but he was relieved to see that the whole class hadn't turned up yet. Evidently he and Kaiba weren't the only tardy ones. Normally the CEO would take his own transport to and from a class trip, but he'd been chauffeured by a business associate to a breakfast meeting in the next town over and taken a taxi from there to the museum. Jounouchi, of course, liked any opportunity to be near his boyfriend (even if they were together only in secret) and so had talked him into taking the school bus back to Domino. It wasn't like they'd actually sit together or talk, but it was something.

And where Kaiba - Seto - was concerned, something could be everything.

"Hey guys!" Jounouchi called.

Yugi and the others looked round as he approached.

"Hey, Jounouchi-kun!" Yugi replied, smiling as always. He was so little and cute, Jounouchi wanted to adopt him. Shizuka would adore having him around, would probably claim him as a pet in fact. After all, he came with his own collar.

"Where were you?" Anzu asked, and Jounouchi snapped back to reality.

He waggled his eyebrows and tapped the side of his nose. "Oh, nowhere special," he said, and winked.

Honda laughed. "Oh, sure!" he said. "Don't even bother trying to look innocent, Jou - I know that look!" He rested an elbow on Jounouchi's shoulder and leaned in conspiratorially. "So you going to tell us who she is?" he stage-whispered.

Jounouchi spread his hands and shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, guys, no can do."

Anzu and Honda sighed in frustration, while Yugi hid his smile behind his hand. The shortest teen had found out about Jounouchi and Kaiba a while back - he and Kaiba had been paired up on an English project, and Yugi had gone round to his house so they could work on it. While there, he'd found Jounouchi's favourite t-shirt in the CEO's bedroom.

Well.

There wasn't a lot you could say to that. So, neither Kaiba nor Jounouchi had bothered to say it.

But enough on that tangent. Back at the museum, Otogi was asking, "What happened, Jounouchi? You used to be so proud of yourself whenever you got any action." He left unspoken, but very obvious, the implication that this pride was based on the rarity of said action actually occurring.

"I still got my pride," Jounouchi said, glaring at him for the insinuated comment. "I just happen to have a really big mouth, so's I can swallow it easily."

"Along with a foot or two, right Jounouchi?" Ryou piped up innocently.

"Exactly!" said Jounouchi enthusiastically. Then-"Waitaminit … Shut up, Ryou!" The others burst out laughing.

Anzu patted him on the arm, grinning. "Honestly, Jounouchi! You're slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter!" Jounouchi just scowled at her and folded his arms grumpily.

At that moment the teacher called them to attention. Honda, Yugi, Anzu, Ryou and Otogi suppressed their laughter enough to listen to her telling them they had an extra half-hour and could go get lunch before they went back to school. Even Jounouchi gave half an ear to her speech, but poked Anzu in the back midway through.

"I thought the right word was a `flop' of turtles?" he whispered. She giggled loudly, earning a stern look from the teacher. Jounouchi smirked to himself for successfully getting her in trouble.

When Kaiba sauntered up just as Tomioka-san was sending the class on their various ways, Jounouchi lingered for just a moment.

"You're late!" snapped the teacher. "Kaiba Seto, you're just lucky we happen to be here for another half hour, otherwise you'd have been walking back to Domino!" She chose to ignore the fact that Kaiba Seto could afford to get a taxi for the hour and a half trip as easily as she could afford to buy a pair of tweezers, although judging by the state of her eyebrows (like a pair of caterpillars trying to mate) that might have been overestimating a teacher's salary.

"I wasn't late," said Kaiba. "I had a rescheduled arrival time."

Jounouchi nearly burst out laughing. Not wanting to be discovered eavesdropping, he stuffed his jacket sleeve in his mouth and hurried after his friends. Only Kaiba could get away with being cheeky to Tomioka-san, and only because he was 1: their star student and 2: a major status-boost for the small school, being CEO of a hugely successful multi-national corporation and all that jazz. Jounouchi thought this highly unfair, and that was even not taking into account his own, highly personalised and subjective, definition of fairness.

Like, anything that was bad for him was unfair, and anything that was bad for Kaiba was fair. Perfectly reasonable and easy to understand.

Yugi had hung back to wait for Jounouchi to catch up, which meant Anzu stayed with him. Predictably, Honda had kept walking, while Ryou and Otogi tarried somewhere in between. It was strange to see the self-confident - self-absorbed, Jounouchi thought to himself - Otogi's actions being affected by a kid who couldn't even look him in the eye, but Yugi had that effect on people.

*Otogi's willpower crumbles in the face of hair even spikier than his own* thought Jounouchi, snickering to himself. *Not even the mighty headband can stand up to the awesome force of a head the shape of a starfish…*

Good thing Anzu hadn't heard that, otherwise she'd put her `flexible friendship' views into action again and probably kick his arse.

"Thanks for waiting, Yug'," said Jounouchi as he caught up with his friend. "Unlike some people," he added loudly. Honda sketched a rude sign, not even bothering to turn around, and deposited himself in a chair outside the museum café.

The other five congregated on the same spot, taking up a couple of tables and looking over the menu. Well, the others looked over the menu - Jounouchi searched his pockets frantically for change, and pouted formidably when he came up with nothing.

"What's the matter, Jounouchi?" asked Ryou, seeing the look on his face.

"He's got no cash on him," Honda interjected. "Happens all the time."

Scowling at his so-called best buddy, Jounouchi corrected him, "I'm not broke … I'm having an out-of-money experience."

"Yeah, like your homework is always having an out-of-notebook experience," Anzu added helpfully.

"Don't make me put food dye in your shampoo, Anzu."

"Don't make me put boot polish on your earphones."

"You have to sleep sometime!"

"I won't be sleeping, I'll be rationing consciousness," said Anzu, in a superior tone of voice.

Jounouchi nodded as if in approval. "Well, that's a simple plan. Like you, in fact. But unlike you, that plan just might work." He then ducked and squirmed away as she attempted to shove the salt shaker up his nose.

Otogi rolled his eyes heavenward. "They're going to kill each other one day, won't they," he stated to the table in general.

"Nuh-uh!" said Jounouchi. "I'm gonna live forever!" He grinned. "So far, so good."

The looks the others gave him were rather amusing.

"Can I help you?" said the waitress. She blinked doe eyes at the six teenagers, smiling at Ryou in a way that made the pale boy blush and Honda jab him in the ribs with his elbow teasingly.

"Yugi!" whispered Jounouchi. "Can I borrow some cash? I'll pay ya back, I swear!"

"Of course," said Yugi, ignoring the whispers of `don't believe him!' from Honda. "Just … with money this time, ok? Grandpa nearly grounded me when he found the alcohol you paid me back with last time."

"Jounouchi has a lot of experience with tainted money," Honda volunteered. "As in, it taint his." He laughed uproariously at his own joke.

Ryou's eyes glinted and he pounced on the idea. "Tainted money?"

Yami was quicker. "Tomb robber," he snarled warningly, and Ryou's eyes changed back to their normal emerald as the spirit of the Ring retreated sulkily. (Yami acted as Ryou's exorcist, but if he wasn't paid, the pale boy got repossessed.)

The meal turned out to be a fairly decent one, given the exploitation usually practiced by government institutions, although Jounouchi horrified Anzu by putting about three different flavours of sauce on his noodles. He justified it by saying he was practicing safe eating, by always using condiments. This then brought on a discussion about the sexual education classes Domino High had run back in their freshman year. The basic gist seemed to be `use condoms in every conceivable situation', although there had been a few - *ahem* - interesting videos. Honda claimed to have a photographic memory regarding these, but it turned out later he didn't have film.

The best part of the lunch in Jounouchi's opinion was that everybody seemed to have forgotten his supposed make-out session while they were supposed to be exploring the museum (he'd been exploring more interesting territory). Instead, they (Anzu and Ryou especially) were more focused on the fact that their homework on the items they'd seen was due first thing Monday, leaving them less than two days to get it all done.

"Ah, I love deadlines," said Honda, when Anzu moaned about not having enough time to complete it properly. "I especially love the `whooshing' sound they make as they go flying by…"

By this time they were on their way back to the bus, their half-hour being nearly up, and so Anzu was able to stick her foot out nimbly and send him sprawling in the dust. Sometimes it helped being a dancer with excellent coordination. When it came to fighting, Honda was agile as a cat, but most times, he was as susceptible to a well-placed foot as anybody else.

Once again, Jounouchi approached the crowd gathered around the bus. This time he had company, but nevertheless he found himself looking out for Kaiba. The brunette's height made him easily spottable - lounging against the side of the bus, looking utterly bored. He glanced up as the six friends approached, but didn't acknowledge them.

Tomioka-san checked their names off on a list before they got on the bus. Jounouchi annoyed her when she called his name by answering, "Sorry, Jounouchi's not here right now. If you'd like to leave a message after the beep, he'll get back to you."

Eventually, however, he made it onto the bus, to find a similar situation confronting him as when he'd boarded it that morning - ie Yugi, Honda and the rest had taken over the back seat, but everywhere near them was just about full. *Some friends* he thought grumpily, beginning to make his way down the aisle. *Leaving me to sit by mysel-hang on…*

Kaiba Seto sat in the seat just before the back one, and there was an empty space next to him.

Jounouchi considered his choices as he slowly moved towards the back of the bus. *If I sit next to him, it could look a bit suspicious … but we'll probably argue all the way home anyway, so that'll look normal. And I can ignore him and just turn around to talk to Yugi and the others. It'll just look like we don't like even talking to each other…*

Of course he was talking himself into sitting next to Kaiba. He was head-over-heels for the guy, what do you expect?

The decision made, Jounouchi hurried down the aisle and dumped himself in the seat next to the brunette, sitting sideways so he could talk to his friends. Kaiba didn't react, other than to turn up the volume on his discman, and Jounouchi chose to ignore this. He was good at ignoring Kaiba … well, most of the time. That night Mokuba had talked them into playing Twister with him, and then sat out and just watched, laughing his arse off - but thinking about that while surrounded by his classmates probably wasn't the best idea. He didn't need a hard-on at that particular moment in time.

At first, the journey back home passed innocuously enough. Tomioka-san no doubt got sick of Jounouchi's loud comments and louder laugh very quickly - he had the same relationship to discretion that history had to truth, ie none to speak of - but didn't do more than yell at him occasionally.

The problems began when the bus went over a particularly large bump just as they were taking a corner just a tiny bit too fast, and almost everybody in the back half of the bus bounced so that they actually left their seats.

Somehow Jounouchi ended up in Kaiba's lap.

"Watch it, mutt!" Kaiba snapped, and shoved Jounouchi off him.

"Hey!" he objected, scowling. "Geez Kaiba, you're so grumpy, it's like someone put starch in your underwear or something!" Those in the back seat made various faces and noises of distaste.

"And you're so clumsy," Kaiba responded, eyes flashing dangerously, "it's like someone dressed up an orang-utan and gave it a hair cut. Although not much of one."

"Shut up, Kaiba!" Jounouchi snapped. "You're a total prick, you know that? Think you're so good and can walk all over me just cos you're a good kisser!"

The silence that fell at Jounouchi's last word was vaguely along the lines of `crashing ominous DOOM version 3.0'. It was the sort of atmosphere most directors only wished they could get in their horror movies. It was the kind of momentous pause that seemed to say `you are so screwed' in about forty-seven different ways.

"Ah, crap," muttered Jounouchi. Kaiba raised an eyebrow at him.

And the whispers began. They started at the seats nearest to the one occupied by the two outed teenage boys, and travelled slowly but furiously down towards the front seat like little water snakes of irrevocable exposé.

Jounouchi hated having control taken away from him. Something had to be done.

"Hey, everyone!" he said, standing up. Attention immediately gravitated to him like a magnet, along with death glares from the teacher. "I got an important announcement to make, okay?" He cleared his throat, using the pause to gather his courage. He hadn't even dared look around to see how his friends were taking it, although he could guess that at least Honda would fall about laughing and tease him mercilessly. He didn't want to think; all he knew was that if he was going to be outed, he'd rather do it on his own terms. He hoped to God Kaiba wouldn't kill him.

"Jounouchi Katsuya," he announced, "is in love with Kaiba Seto."

Once again, there was pure silence for roughly the amount of time it takes to draw a deep breath. Then half a dozen people burst out laughing, half a dozen more whooped and gave out catcalls, half a dozen girls squealed in delight, and a hand wrapped itself around his arm and yanked him back into his seat.

"You're determined to embarrass yourself, aren't you?" said Kaiba.

Feeling extremely light-headed, Jounouchi responded defiantly, "Why should it be embarrassing to tell people how I feel about you?"

"You tell me," came the reply, "you're the one going bright red."

"I - what?" Jounouchi brought his hand to his face, and cringed to discover that his cheek was burning. "Ugh," he moaned. "I should probably shut up…"

Kaiba looked at him pragmatically. "You probably should have shut up several minutes ago."

"Story of my life," Jounouchi muttered, feeling miserable.

The next second Kaiba's finger was under his chin, tilting his head up, and the brunette was planting a sweet and serious kiss on his lips - well, as sweet and serious as a person could get while the bus was barrelling down a mountainside like the driver had a fetish for extreme sports. But once Kaiba's mouth met his, Jounouchi could have been bouncing like a super-ball and he wouldn't have noticed. A sigh of relief left him feeling like everything black and stormy and poisonous had been lifted from his heart and all that was left in the world was Kaiba Seto.

"Jounouchi Katsuya!" screeched a voice.

Jounouchi was jerked back to reality by a pair of sharply nailed fingers taking hold of his ear and yanking him to his feet. He squawked loudly and looked down into Tomioka-san's furious face.

"How many times have I told you to behave yourself?" shouted the diminutive woman, and Jounouchi flinched. He opened his mouth the answer the question, but his sense of self-preservation informed him frantically that it was rhetorical and he should shut the hell up right now!

"You are coming down the front to sit with me," the teacher was snapping. "Maybe that will teach you to be quiet!" She turned around to haul Jounouchi down the aisle with her, but paused and spun back around, directing her sternest and most repressive look at Kaiba.

"As for you," she said, "there's a time and a place for public displays of affection, and during a class trip on a school bus is neither!"

As those nearby variously laughed and wolf-whistled, Jounouchi was slightly mollified to see Kaiba blush just a tiny bit before his ear was stretched and he scrambled to accompany Tomioka-san back to her seat right behind the driver. He could still hear the conversation up the back over the babble of excited talk, and although on the whole he was hugely relieved to detect more amusement than condemnation, he was more concerned with what his friends thought.

The first voice he heard was Honda's, and it made him grin from ear to ear.

"Hey, Kaiba. I don't have a problem with you two, but you just better treat my buddy right, got that? I mean it - you hurt him, and you'll have me to deal with."

"He can fend for himself, you know," Kaiba answered, "although his bark's worse than his bite." Jounouchi didn't know whether he wanted to hug him for that or kill him. The tiny hint of respect from someone he respected more every day seemed to more or less cancel out the goddamn dog reference.

As it turned out, he didn't need to do anything. Yugi's voice, in that adorably cheeky mode he employed to devastating effectiveness, reached him: "But it's still enough to make you cover up your neck, right Kaiba-kun?"

Score one, Motou!

"Yugi!" exclaimed Anzu, her shock at seeing this side of her crush clearly evident in her tone. Jounouchi snickered.

"Watch it, Yugi," came Kaiba's smooth-as-chocolate voice. "Don't want to tug too hard at those apron strings now, do we?"

Honda cut in, "You know, I knew Jounouchi wasn't the smartest guy around, but to be going out with you he must be a masochist." Hearing this, Jounouchi promised himself that Honda would pay. Just wait til he told Shizuka what Honda had under his bed…

"I'm surprised you know what `masochist' means," said Kaiba, "let alone being able to use it correctly in a sentence."

Otogi put in helpfully, "It was the word of the day on `Children's Hour'."

Jounouchi couldn't see Honda's face, as he was pretending to pay attention to Tomioka-san's lecture, but he could imagine the indignation clearly. "Hey! We're supposed to be on the same side here!" the brunette objected.

"Since when?" said Otogi blandly. "The name `Shizuka' ringing any bells?"

"Good point."

Jounouchi leapt to his feet. "Oi, stay away from my sister!" he yelled down the bus at them.

"Jounouchi!"

"Sorry, miss…"

The last comment Jounouchi received from the back seat came from Kaiba, in the form of a note delivered via Ryou as the pale boy came down the front to ask the teacher a question. He slipped the folded paper to Jounouchi, and effectively distracted Tomioka-san as he read it.

Behave yourself, puppy.

*I'll kill him* thought Jounouchi furiously, before continuing to read.

…I'll reward you later.

For a long moment Jounouchi didn't think anything. Finally, he re-folded the note and stuffed it in his pocket. Hesitantly, he cast a glance down the back and found the brunette watching him.

Jounouchi smiled at him … and Kaiba smiled in return.

-^-^-^-^-^-